Thousands of protestors gathered in cities across France this past Sunday, standing against what they perceive as an onslaught to the rights of transgender individuals. Inspired to action by a report released by French Senators, these protests came in response to an alleged alarming rise in child gender transitions and an emerging bill designed to outlaw medical transitioning for individuals under the age of 18.
Resident activists, politicians from the left, transgender-rights organizations, and youth, collectively spoke out across France to condemn what is perceived as an attack on transgender rights. A large-scale protest took place in Paris, garnering over 2500 protesters voicing their resistance against both the Senators’ report and a book on transgender ideology seen as promoting hate speech and defamation.
The crux of the protest focused on a comprehensive report put together and published by the center-right Les Républicains Senators in March. The research was conducted through various hearings involving medical professionals, psychologists, and a variety of other experts. The Senators highlighted a significant increase in the number of children identifying as transgender in France, pointing to a statement from Professor David Cohen, who heads the child psychiatry department at Pitié-Salpêtrière.
The Senators, in response to the report’s findings, revealed that a draft bill has been proposed and is set to be reviewed in the Upper Senate come May 28. The proposed legislation intends to ban medical procedures such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex reassignment surgery for minors suffering from gender dysphoria—a psychological distress which stems from the difference between someone’s perceived gender and their assigned one at birth.
Another source of controversy at the heart of the protests was a book titled Transmania: Investigation into the excesses of transgender ideology, which critically analyzes transgender ideology and identity. The book has since been widely criticized for promoting hate speech, and efforts are currently underway to take down posters advertising the book at the request of Paris City Hall to the advertiser.
More about these protests can be found in the original report on JURIST – News.